5 INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT The University of Iowa (U.I.) has repeatedly demonstrated the value it places on the EHSRC, supporting the Center with new and renovated facilities, new faculty lines, and funding for outreach activities and doctoral trainees. The University has specifically highlighted the EHSRC in their strategic plan and in documents and publications sent to the Legislature, the Board of Regents, U.I. alumni and the mass media. In support of this competitive renewal, the U.I. has committed salary and start-up costs for four new faculty lines, new equipment in the amount of $83,000 for facility cores, five doctoral student research assistantships valued at over $800,000 over 5 yrs, offices and meeting space for the EHSRC in a new LEED Gold sustainable building, $50,000 in facility operating funds, $67,000 in facility core renovation, $50,000 per year to augment the Pilot Grant Program, and subsidized access to Holden Cancer Center-sponsored facility cores. This support, plus that received in the current cycle, is detailed below. Dr. Thorne has been on the faculty of the U.I. for 23 years with appointments in the Colleges of Medicine (primary, 1988-1999), Public Health (primary, 1999-present) and Engineering (secondary). During this time he has established a reputation as a scientific administrator capable of building and sustaining successful programs. U.I. administration is satisfied that past institutional support for the EHSRC has been put to good use and has yielded a substantial return on their investment. While the last five years have been a very challenging time for public universities, the U.I. has maintained its support for the Center. State appropriations to the U.I. declined from $311.8M in 2008 to $235.5M in 2010. However, the grants and contracts garnered by U.I. investigators increased significantly from $366.4M in 2006 to $466.5M last year. The U.I. is ranked 13th for NIH funding among all public universities, and commits considerable resources to foster strong interdisciplinary research with the research Centers playing a key role in that infrastructure. The U.I. has supported the EHSRC in innovative ways, including providing support for new faculty lines, core facilities, laboratory renovation projects, pilot grants, graduate student stipends, and continuing support for affiliated centers and programs.